If you look closely at the top right corner of the photo above, you can see ‘mull’ spelled out and then cut off. This is a reference to Mullman who commented on the last post. He stated that it was left in 1989 or 1990.

Either “WWG” was carved into the door or it was spray painted on and subsequently scraped off.

I’d like to echo some of the comments in the previous article. If you somehow find your way down here, exercise a great amount of caution, with every step you take. There is good reason why it is incredibly difficult to find a way in – it is dangerous as all hell. Yes, steam is hot. 1,000 degrees hot. And many of the pipes are old. It’s almost painfully hot in some areas, and is very tight and cramped in others. Despite all of this, it was an interesting place to be. This marks the second and (for now) final post on this topic.

13 Comments:

puckjr02/26/2009

Wow…
These photos bring back memories!
I was down there in about 1988-89, but I, along with a few friends did go there quite frequently during that time. Many beers were consumed down there. I only lived in Raleigh for a short time, about a year, but I grew up in Sanford and my friends and I visited Raleigh almost every weekend. We spent most of our time going to The Brewery for punk rock shows, or going to The Ritz Theater on Glenwood Ave. to see “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Those were some good times and good people that I met in the area.

All this brings to mind a friend, Dave, who was killed outside the Fallout Shelter one night. He was stabbed in an apparent robbery. I never did find out all the details, as I had stopped visiting by then, but I heard about it.

I don’t remember his last name, but I remember hanging with him quite a bit.

So, here’s to Dave. May you Rest In Peace!

kingpin12/07/2009

I was at State in the early to mid 90’s, and always wanted to go down in the tunnels, but could never find a way in. I did explore the tunnels at UNC a few times, and recall the incredible heat. Once, after going in in the winter, the entire group came down with a bad cold a few days afterward. I suspect some things enjoy living in that moist heat!

Jay01/04/2010

Hi puckjr!

That’d be Dave Mathews (aka “Little Dave”) that died outside the Fallout Shelter. also a former friend and room mate several times over. a great guy. It wasn’t a robbery, though – he and some other friends had hassled a nazi punk who’d shown up at the Fallout Shelter. They followed him out, and he banged a right downa dead end alley. They continued to hassle him and he pulled a knife. Dave tried to kick it out of his hand but the nazi nicked his neck and cut his carotid artery. dave bled to death brfore he could get back to the Fallout Shelter. The nazi walked on the grounds of self defense, and Dave’s parents wouldn’t let us attend the service or funeral.
I do miss the little goblin…

Did I know you? I was the deathrocker who looked like Bo Duke.

I played in the steam tunnels from about 1979 to 1987 or 1988. I took a few people down there to consume case after case of malt liquor, and getting in was always pretty easy. We’d go in through the Freedom of Expression tunnel – there was a door on the wall, and you could hook a comb in the hole, kick the door, and pull it open. Another way to get in was in a building to the right of the brickyard – you went in a door, and beneath stairs going up on your immediate right there was a trap door. Through it you wound up under the building, and you crawled ahead, slithered under some pipes, and you were in. I also used a manhole cover once, but that way was highly visible. Some neat parts of the system:
If you can find the free expression tunnel entrance you move to the left (as you enter), go all the way to the cage, go left through the door and then right, then left at the next intersection, watch your head with the low pipes, and move along through the dark part with your left hand dragging the top left wall of the tunnel. At a really dark part about 5 feet off the floor you’ll find another smaller tunnel in the wall. Hoist yourself into this and crawl down it’s rat-dorpping filthiness until you pop up in a maintenance building with all sorts of fun things to explore. You can actually enter parts of the HVAC system, though you can’t go too far. Some neat “rooms” in there, though.
There’s another spot in the tunnel that leads to the side tunnel – it’s an old room thagt got covered over with running pipes, but was never actually sealed off. To find it, shine a flashlight along the floor of the tunnel under the pipes. When you find it, just slither under the bottom pipes and you’re in. Nothing spectacular, though I suppose you could live there if you were homeless and there’s no way anybody would find you.
There are lots of other underground passages in Raleigh! Cameron Village is honeycombed with storm drains, most of the buildings downtown have old steam tunnels, and there are 1950’s bomb shelters still scattered around. I got copies of microfiche’d blueprints for man-high access tunnels from City Hall, I think. It’s all public domain if you’ve a mind to call and ask about them.
Ahhhhhh such memories…..

Hey Jay, doubt you check this man, I am substantially younger than ya (only 21) and have a massive interest in getting lost in these kinds of places, not really, but just like exploring these places. If you could send me any more info on any, maybe even some closer to home (greensboro) I would be very greatful.

Let me know.

Thanks.

Neal Henderson12/20/2010

I used to trip on acid down there back in the late 80’s. Man those were the daze.
I wonder if my friends initials (CWP) are

still down there somewhere beneath the rail road

Spencer03/07/2011

How are you able to get into these tunnels? I have an extreme interest in exploring these, as I love a good adventure.

puckjr03/13/2011

Damn, it’s been awhile since I visited this site.
First of all – Spencer, I have no idea how to get down there now, but one way was like how Jay said in a post above. Another way used to be at the back side of the bleachers at the old stadium on campus. It would have been on the West side of the stadium, but there was an old wooden door that led into an entrance. There was also a square grate in the courtyard that was about 2 x 2 feet and you could pick up the grate and climb down the metal ladder. This was my preferred method of entry if it was dark outside because it was quick to get to. The only problem was, it was somewhat in the open.

Jay, I know it’s been a long time since you posted, but I hope you get this.
I’m not sure if I knew you, but I knew Little Dave. I also knew Trevor and Morris, Emily Crowell, and lots more people from the old scene on Hillsborough St. My name is Mike, and I used to live on Chamberlain St. during that time. I kinda was in sales, if you know what I mean. I sold paper products, although I was not a large distributor, just enough to make ends meet. Of course, life is all different now. I’m a straight laced, fairly clean cut computer technician now. And those days are long gone for me.
It’s good to see others showing interest in the old stem tunnels though.

hooter5506/14/2011

We used to gain entrance via the south side of the library. There was an area of concrete with bushes just to the outside of the cafeteria area (not sure still there…been about 20 years since I’ve been back). You went into the bushes, crawled under a concrete area and went down a couple of steel stairs…..this was back in the mid 1970s.

We used to scare the hell out of students in one of the engineering labs. We would travel the length of the tunnels underneath the railroad and climb up a set of stairs to a door with a window looking into a lab. Imagine a lab student there doing something and seeing a face at a so-called locked door!

I’m researching to see which buildings and a better location of the entrance….we didn’t play any games or drink much beer down there – just exploring.

mikey09/19/2011

hey if there’s an entrance still in existence let me know please!
i really want to visit!

Current12/02/2012

Well, you know there must still be an entrance, of course. Maintenance must be done!

wow..been a long time. In the 70s you could enter from the free expression tunnel, though by the time I graduated in 1978, they started to put locks on that entrance…surprised you did not find earlier graffiti, gut I guess we did not always date everything

summer04/02/2016

we will always miss little dave. he had a good heart and and a kind soul. rest in peace.